St. Paul police and neighbors fight crime, over burgers and hot dogs

St. Paul Police officer Tim Biermaier invites East Third Street residents Steve Lambert, right, and Jim Svoboda to come to a "Safe Summner Nights" meeting and dinner as he walks their neighborhood on Monday, June 2, 2014. Safe Summer Nights, to be held for 13 Thursday nights in St. Paul neighborhoods with higher incidences of reported crime, will let police and neighborhood residents become acquainted over food, rather than during times of trouble. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

All the meat will be prepared and donated by Tom Campion, a partner in the food wholesaler Superb Meats that is based in St. Paul on West Seventh Street.

Campion, a lifelong St.

If you go: Safe Summer Nights cookouts

Here's the schedule of the St. Paul Police Department s community cookouts this summer. All run from 5 to 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Some locations will host two cookouts.

June 5: Conway Rec Center, 2090 Conway St.

June 12 (6:30 to 8 p.m.): Weida Park, Burr and Tedesco streets

June 19: Wilder Rec Center, 958 Jessie St.

June 26: Margaret Rec Center, 1109 Margaret St.

July 3: Dunning Rec Center, 1221 Marshall Ave.

July 10: Lewis Park, 900 Marion St.

July 17: Conway Rec Center, 2090 Conway St.

July 24: Carty Park, 705 Iglehart Ave.

July 31: Douglas Park, 328 W. Stevens St.

Aug. 7: Margaret Rec Center, 1109 Margaret St.

Aug. 14: West Minnehaha Rec Center. 685 W. Minnehaha Ave.

Aug. 21: Pleasant Park, Harrison Avenue and Garfield Street

Aug. 28: Weida Park, Burr and Tedesco streets

Paul resident who has been in the food business for 38 years, said he wanted to channel his energy and free time into helping the community.

"Food always brings people together," Campion said. "It's very less likely that someone's going to point a gun at you if you broke bread with them."

The first cookout will be at 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the Conway Community Recreation Center at 2090 Conway St. Officers knocked on doors Monday and handed out fliers to neighborhood residents, inviting them to the event.

Cyndi Vanda, who lives on the 2000 block of East Third Street, said she no longer locks her car because she can't count the number of times it's been broken into.

"We love the East Side," Vanda said after an officer told her about the cookout.

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"We've started our own neighborhood watch. It's important to our neighborhood to keep things safe."

She said she knows all the neighbors on her block because her husband grew up two houses down from where they now live with their two girls. She said she knows her family isn't alone in dealing with relatively minor crimes through the years.

A couple of blocks east, Jim Svoboda said crime isn't too bad in his neighborhood, although lights and figurines have been stolen from his yard in the past two weeks.

Police will host the dinners at 10 rec centers and parks, including events in the Payne-Phalen and Frogtown neighborhoods.

"One of the biggest potential benefits will be the ability to connect with communities of color," Axtell said.

"We're looking at how we can do a better job of recruiting a reflective police department and to get kids interested in law enforcement careers."

Police hosted their first East African Junior Police Academy in February to give youth from those immigrant populations a firsthand experience of what it's like to work in law enforcement. The department also holds citizen academies and monthly community meetings.

Axtell said police will bring horse and motorcycle units to the summer cookouts, as well as a SWAT team vehicle to make it interactive for the kids.

Campion said he drew overwhelming support from restaurateurs and businesses. Davanni's restaurants donated the hamburger and hot dog buns; Pepsi donated the beverages; even the candy was donated. He said organizers are preparing to feed up to 300 people every week.

Over breakfast with Axtell last month, Campion hatched his plan for the idea to do some outreach in the community, offering to donate meat for community cookouts.

"Something simple," Campion said.

He said Axtell consulted with colleagues on the force and got back to him with the plan.

"Be careful what you wish for!" Campion said, joking.

IF YOU GO

Here's the schedule of the St. Paul Police Department's community cookouts this summer. All will be 5-7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Some sites will host two cookouts.